1 Where do the conflicts and quarrels that go on among you come from? Do they not come from your passions which are always making war among your bodily members?
2 You continually crave and do not obtain; you are killing and coveting and cannot acquire; you are fighting and at war. You do not have, because you do not ask.
3 You continue to ask and do not receive, because you are asking with a wrong purpose, in order to spend it upon your pleasures.
4 You adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity to God? Whoever, then, desires to be a friend of the world, makes himself and enemy of God.
5 Or do you suppose that it is in vain that the Scripture says, "The spirit which has its home in us yearns over us unto jealousy?"
6 But he gives more and more grace. therefore it is said, God ever resists the proud; but to the humble he gives grace continually.
7 So then ever be subject to God, Ever resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God And he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, And purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Lament and mourn, and weep aloud! Let your laughter be turned into mourning, And your joy into gloom!
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, And he will raise you up.
11 Do not be talking against each other, brothers. He who is talking against a brother and condemning his brothers is talking against the Law and condemning the Law. But if you are condemning the Law, you are not a doer of the Law, but a judge.
12 But One is your Lawgiver and Judge - he who is able to save and to destroy. But you, who are you, to be condemning your neighbor?
13 Go to now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we shall journey to such a city and spend a year there, and trade and make money,"
14 when all the time you do not know what will happen on the morrow. For what is your life? You are but a mist, appearing for a brief time, and then vanishing.
15 You ought instead to say, "If the Lord wills it, we shall live and do this or that."
16 But now you are glorying in these insolent boastings of yours; all such glorying is evil.
17 So to him who knows how to do right and does not do it, to him it is sin.